


Exquisitely Discordant

by cephalopod_groupie



Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Orchestra, Classical Music, M/M, Music
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-12-21
Updated: 2015-01-24
Packaged: 2018-03-02 14:51:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2816090
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cephalopod_groupie/pseuds/cephalopod_groupie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hermann Gottlieb is the conductor of the Pacific "Shatterdome" Orchestra. Hiring Newton Geiszler as the principle violinist may be the worst or greatest decision he's ever made.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Overture

**Author's Note:**

> Originally, pinkieblues gave me this prompt like two months ago. (Not gonna put up a link to the original post because it contains a spoiler.) By sheer coincidence I was already thinking of a Newmann Orchestra AU. So, although a few people have already done this kind of AU with Newt and Herms, I gotta write one because this plot bunny has been eating a hole in my brain for three months. Here goes. This is also basically a gift for offensiveagentpie who added a few musical preferences and general support.

Hermann Gottlieb opened his email.

_Hey Hermann,_

_Think I found a replacement for our principle violinist. Take a look at the link. Don't know if you've heard of him or his music before but I took a listen to one of his recordings and he's really talented._

_See you next rehearsal._

_Tendo_

Hermann clicked the link. A profile page popped up. Newton Geiszler was quite frankly, gorgeous. Fashionably unshaven, charming smile, shining green eyes, dark wild hair. PHD in music performance. Eight years of performance experience. Hermann pretended not to notice how his heart rate increased slightly.

"Ah, links to performances," Hermann said to himself as he clicked and pressed play. The most beautiful sound caressed his ear drums and he closed his eyes. Vivaldi's The Four Seasons played. Spring, third movement: Danza Pastorale. As the movement came to a close, Hermann replied to Tendo's email.

_Dear Tendo,_

_I am extremely impressed. I'll email him at once._

_Thank you,_

_Gottlieb._

Hermann began to feel very excited about the musical season before him. With Carnegie Hall on the itinerary, he was certain they could not fail to keep their audience spellbound. 

 

 


	2. A Trembling Start

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Newton Geiszler arrives late for the first practice and has an extraordinary effect on Hermann.

Newton Geiszler, world renowned (in his own words) violin virtuoso, was already five minutes late. He entered the concert hall, jabbering about the rainstorm and the taxi being late and the traffic, flicking water everywhere. Although Hermann was extremely put out by the man’s tardiness, he could not help but notice how the rain had made his hair look shiny and raven-black.

“Dude, I am really sorry about being a couple minutes late,” Newton said, extending a hand. It was still quite damp in Hermann’s cold, dry grasp. “Nice to meet you in the flesh, Hermann.”

“It’s Gottlieb. And you are not a couple minutes late, you are nearly six minutes late.” Newton’s blinked and shrugged. 

“Sorry man, I did my best.” Newton sat down and introduced himself to several violinists. Tendo waved and nodded. Newton’s face brightened up even more, if that was possible.

“Oh hey! Tendo...uh, Choi, right? Didn’t I meet you in Prague once?”

“Good memory, buddy!”

“Excuse me, if we may begin. You all have before you a copy of Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto in D, Op. 35. We shall start with the first movement: Allegro Moderato.

“Jumping in at the deep end, huh?” Newton said with a smile. Hermann ignored the friendly yet intrusive remark and picked up his baton. It began very smoothly indeed. Hermann’s conducting style was clear and measured, with little extravagant gestures. About a minute in, Newton’s first solo passage blossomed around them. Hermann early stopped conducting. If Hermann was entirely honest with himself, he would admit that he selected this piece because he desperately yearned to hear Newton play it. Hermann tried to keep Newton’s energetic playing in check but found it difficult and the added distraction of the beautiful playing was not an aid to concentration. In fact at about the 3:40 mark, Newton’s playing was so beautiful, Hermann did cease to conduct. The notes pierced his heart like the delicate incision of a surgeon’s scalpel. He put his baton on his stand and walked out “if you’ll excuse me.” Everyone stopped playing and began to murmur with whispers.  

“What the hell?” Newton looked at Tendo. “Does he hate my playing that much?” Behind Tendo, the principle clarinetist, Mako Mori, spoke up delicately and said, “I’ve never seen Mr. Gottlieb moved to tears before.” Newton gave a slight upward jerk of his head to indicate he understood and the orchestra soon became silent. Hermann returned in less than five minutes. 

“Shall we resume?” Hermann said calmly. Newton was not the only one who noticed his eyes and nose looked a little pink.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Listen to the piece I'm referring to!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AmMc81vADk) I feel that Ruggiero Ricci's style would be close to Newton's if the biologist was a violinist.


End file.
